Apple sues Samsung, accuses them of copying iPhone, iPad [Updated]

Apple is suing Samsung, claiming Samsung's Galaxy line of phones and tablets copy the look and feel of iPhone and iPad.

"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products."

Samsung's Galaxy line has been one of the most commercially successful range of Android products to date but have also been among the most iOS-like in terms of interface conventions, thanks to Samsung's TouchWiz. Ironically, Samsung is also one of Apple's more important manufacturing partners, producing components for iPhone and iPad both.

UPDATE: More from Apple, and an illustrative image, above. [Mobilized]

“It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” an Apple representative told Mobilized. “This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

UPDATE 2: As Jon points out in the comments, Apple is legally obligated to defend its trademarks or it risks losing them. Likewise asserting patents for a public company in a highly competitive market is the responsibility of of its management. When and against whom it chooses to litigate them, however, is interesting.

"Samsung will respond actively to this legal action taken against us through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property," the South Korean firm said in a statement.

"Apple is one of our key buyers of semiconductors and display panels. However, we have no choice but respond strongly this time," an unidentified official was quoted as saying.

UPDATE 4: Former Engadget editor (and lawyer) Nilay Patel gives a break down of the suit, and his thoughts. [This Is My Next]

Taken as a group, it feels like a remarkably solid case — Samsung can’t just up and countersue Apple with its own patents and hope to walk away with a handshake and a cross-license because of the various trademark, trade dress, and design patent claims. How the company decides to deal with those issues remains to be seen; there’s no question in my mind that Samsung designed TouchWiz to look and feel as much like iOS as possible, and then marketed it as such.

Next up →

Reader comments

Apple sues Samsung, accuses them of copying iPhone, iPad [Updated]

If Apple wins this case..could they potentially go after anybody with rows of icons on their touchscreen slate phone? I know Touchwiz is closer to iOS then most but it seems like it could set a dangerous precedent here.
I use a vanilla Android phone (Moto Droid 1) and a 3rd Gen 64GB Ipod Touch and I absolutely love both so I have no real vested interest in either side winning a court case here but I just don't want to see it come down to this when companies compete. Companies need to innovate, not sue over broad patents that probably should have never been granted int he first place.

I am an iPad and iPhone owner and suits like this sure seem ridiculous. My Windows tablets/slates look like the iPad too, and they came before the iPad. Likewise, my past Windows Phones & Dell Axiums weren't too dissimilar in design to the iPhone. Windows 3.1 and other OS's have had desktops with icons in rows for decades. Gimme a break! Don't be sue happy Apple, you look like the kid on the playground that tattle-tales. Don't use the courts as part of your business plan, please. They have enough to do. Same goes for you other companies.

Brian, I think your issue is with the patent office for granting the patent, not with Apple for defending its patent. Apple is obligated to defend its patents - if they don't the patents become invalid. And you can't honestly expect Apple (or any other company for that matter) not to try to patent every piece of technology it develops. That's part of technology development.

@Chris what on earth are you talking about? "People want choice" ok? you still have a choice? nobody is holding a gun to your head to buy an iOS device. Go buy an android device then. There's your choice and there's the MARK you make on the industry as a consumer. Apple is not withholding any "choice" to anyone.
As far as the patent comment is concerned, the OP is right. Apple is obligated to defend this, if they don't then what's next? Are we supposed to just pick and choose which patents have ALREADY been approved are valid?
I guess we should just go back through ALL patents in the whole system and re-validate them to your liking then huh?

Which is a copy fo Xerox sure sure but Apple paid and made arrangement for it and didn't just rip it off shamelessly. Microsoft just pretended they had a right to keep using it despite their limited license they had obtained from Apple.

Patents don't apply only when they're convenient. In order for Apple to defend the integrity of its patent it is obligated to rigorously defend it. It couldn't not sue Samsung if it wanted to, unless it wanted to invalide the patent - which makes no sense.

Jon,
Apple is not required to "vigorously defend" it's patents. The requirement you are thinking of is related to Trademarks, which is an entirely different area of law.
When it comes to patents, Apple may choose to enforce or not enforce as it sees fit, with no potential for losing the patent due to inaction.
-Ryan

Ah, so you are right, Ryan. My mistake.
In that case, this does make Apple's choice more interesting. Perhaps Apple is going after the more obviously similar Samsung skin in order to strengthen its position to defend the platform from Android, et al more broadly later.
What do you think?

of course. Apple WANTS to take over the world much like how Jehovah Witness are spreading their crap. Steve jobs loves to say "PEOPLE WANT THIS. PEOPLE DONT WANT THAT"
It kind of pisses people off as people WANT large screen phones. THEY WANT 4G data and jobs is being butt hurt over it.

Any product, including electric devices act as a whole. There are plus and minuses to each feature that you add/remove. The cell phone industry intimately linked with the latest advances in IC industry. If you want 4G or a bigger screen, then you have to give up battery life and performance. Steve Jobs doesn't tell people what they want because of his ego, that would be counter productive and bad business. Apple's philosophy is to try and make the best product that can be created with today's technology, usually by creating exceptionally good software, sometimes by using innovative hardware designs. I just think it's stupid for a consumer, not in the industry, to be demanding fictional products that don't exist. You don't know what can and can't be done. You dkn't have a multi-billion dollar company at stake. Why do you feel the need to personally attack someone who's in this position? I think your problem with Steve Jobs has more to do with your ego than his.

So doesn't Samsung make parts for Apple? if I were them I'd pull production. If Apple really wants the parts they will drop the "lawsuit"
Apple doesn't need to be the only cell phone maker in the world. It will be like steve jobs suing all the clothing manfacters for not making black turrle necks and blue jeans.

Apple uses SAMSUNG prossesors, memory, screens for their iPads, iPhones, and even the Macs use SAMSUNG-made SSDs. Apple has essentially crapped where it eats. SAMSUNG should supply other companies instead.

I think some of you are misguided as to what the lawsuit is really about. My sister came for a visit and she had a Galaxy S from TMobile. I immediately thought it was an iPhone, until I saw the samsung logo. The phone is very similar in just the design itself, not even counting the software. Yes Samsung makes their hardware but this is just blatant copying. I hope they reach an agreement which seems more likely.

You all seem to be missing the point that Apple was granted a patent. If Samsung was granted a patent to the rectangular flat screen TV design then it could indeed sue every other company that made a similar design. Likewise, the patent office gave Apple the patent. If you don't think it should have been granted as a patent then your issue concerns patent reform. But it's stupid to just arbitrarily hate on Apple for defending their IP. Besides, your analogy implies that you acknowledge that Samsung's phone design and UI looks similar to Apple's phone design and UI, hence the reason Apple is suing them in the first place.

Nilay Patel formerly of Engadget tweeted that he's looking at the complaint and will have an editorial posted soon. He was a copyright Attorney so he should have an interesting viewpoint. There are definitly design similarities between the Galaxy S and the iPhone especially in hardware. In the end im sure this will be settled, maybe Samsung will give Apple a buy one get one free deal on A5 processors or half off NAND flash and it will mean very little to all of us other than an I told you so between fanboys.

I have used touchwiz and now own an iPhone 4. The touch wiz interface is extremely close to iOS. Heck even look at the picture above! Indead of a normal bubble type of "dock" that stock android uses, Touchwiz uses a iOS style bar with icons.
As a consumer who has played with both touchwiz and iOS, it was a copy. To the average joe who isn't very computer literate, they might even mistake it for an iphone.

Apple put thought into this and then is shamelessly copied. Just like the Microsoft Windows rip off. They are trying to protect their interest and hopefully avoid another Windows situation. Remember they were nearly wiped out of existence. It would piss anyone off to invent something and then be driven out of business by copycats.
Why can't they come up with something unique? cause of the risk that's why. Look at Palm they made an Awesome OS but it was to little to late.
Still they should make something unique. Ever heard of Pogoplank? They should buy that look instead of copying Apple's look.

Wow, lotsa butthurt people today!
They are extremely similar. I've got a friend with this phone, and people call it his "iPhone" all the time. Just the fact that this occurs, and frequently, might be enough for Apple to stand on in this lawsuit.
They have a similar shape, with a metallic border. Software wise, the homescreens have a 4x4 icon layout. The icons are square-ish in shape. The text is white and underneath it. It has a default black background. The Phone icons are practically identical, for Pete's sake. They both use dots to indicate homescreens. They both have a dock with four icons. The dock is grey. They're both based on the premise of the icons all being uniformly square-ish. Seriously, there are enough commonalities, people. As soon as these phones came out, I saw one and was like, "Holy crap, that looks like an iPhone." No, it's not IDENTICAL, you freaking nitpickers, but the mood and experience is way too similar to the iPhone, and I personally can understand why Apple's a bit peeved.
If you disagree, more power to you. No need to be a sarcastic douche about it, though, guys — seriously.

Clearly, yes I see it. I do see the physical Menu/back buttons on the iPhone, the sliding cover for the port connector. Here, ahh I unlocked the Galaxy S screen, but let me turn it into iPhone mode in the launcher screen instead of the homescreen with the widgets. Yes, there is the lovely iOS I know and love. Good for you!

Points to note for the fanbois:
. Patents do not need to be enforced to be retained - that's trademarks.
. Remember Apple 'stole' the name iphone from Cisco.
. You can't steal ideas.
. Very little of Apple's products are original - albeit are refined to almost perfection.
. Those that can't compete, litigate.
. Suing over rounded corners and the look of a box. Seriously?
. I'm sure Safari looks and feels the same and borrowed many concepts from IE, Firefox, etc etc.
. Apple did not create the smartphone or tablet markets but deserve credit for revolutionising them.
. There's got to be more than what's prima facie regarding this suit; e.g. Apple are trying to leverage a better deal out of Samsung for components.
. All Apple products are derivative of someone else's.
. I can't wait for The Onion to parody this suit.
A 2x iPhone/6x iPod/iPad/TV owning non-fanboi.

I have 4 yobs, and they all involve making copycat iphones that are actually all android devices, that actually look like all other rectangular devices, and have home screens, and 1 button in the middle, I love my yob.

I can't believe Apple got a patent for something as generic as rows of icons with rounded corners and a fix bar of icons at the bottom.
So tomorrow if Apple comes up with widgets or multiple homescreens on iOS, then should Google and Android handset manufacturers sue Apple for this? Seems just about as plausible as this lawsuit.

Well I personally can't stand ios or touch wiz but given the fact that touch wiz does have widgets, live wall papers, and many other custom themes from which you can download in the market id say its completly different. Ios technically doesn't have a true app launcher, all it really is, is just rows and rows of icons where as touch wiz can rows and rows of widgets, and the launcher has icons.